A Boy Named Charlie Brown
A Boy Named Charlie Brown is a 1969 American animated comedy/drama film directed by Bill Melendez and written by Charles M. Schultz. It is based on the "Peanuts" comic strip by Schultz. It was released on December 4, 1969 by National General Pictures and produced by Cinema Center Films. Plot When Charlie Brown's baseball team loses the first baseball game of the season, he becomes convinced that he will never win anything, but Linus encourages him to maintain a positive attitude and suggests that people learn more from losing. When Charlie Brown remains morose, Linus assures him that he will eventually win at something, but then promptly makes a liar of himself by beating Charlie Brown at a game of tic-tac-toe. That night, Snoopy has a nightmare where he is a World War I flying ace, and is shot down while fighting an aerial battle with an unshown enemy (presumably the Red Baron), and he takes over Charlie Brown's bed. When Charlie Brown stops at Lucy's psychiatric help booth, she prepares slides to show him all of his faults which only makes him feel more depressed. The next day on the way to school, Lucy jokingly suggests that Charlie Brown enter the school spelling bee, however Linus considers it a good idea and encourages Charlie Brown to enter despite the jeers of Lucy, Violet, and Patty. ("Failure Face"). Charlie Brown nervously enters the spelling bee and defeats the other children in his class when he spells "insecure" a word he considers his trademark. As Charlie Brown studies for the school championship, he and Linus sing a spelling mnemonic ("I Before E") as Snoopy accompanies them on a Jew's harp. The next day in class, Charlie Brown freezes when challenged with perceive, but he recovers when Snoopy plays the song's accompaniment outside the school. Crowned champion, the other kids cheerfully follow him home and sing ("Champion Charlie Brown"). Lucy proclaims herself his agent, and when his friends suggest that he continue studying, he is confused. They tell him that he must now take part in the National Spelling Bee in New York City, and he is again filled with self-doubt. As Charlie Brown leaves, Linus reluctantly offers him his blanket for good luck, and the other kids cheer him. Back at home, Linus suffers terrible withdrawal after being separated from his blanket. Unable to withstand it, he pleads with Snoopy to go to New York City and help him get it back. They meet with an exhausted Charlie Brown at his hotel room, and he apologizes for not knowing where he left Linus' blanket. As Linus checks the New York Public Library in vain, Snoopy engages in a fantasy ice-skating routine at Rockefeller Center. The two reunite and return to Charlie Brown, only to find him absentmindedly using the blanket as a shoe-shine cloth. Happy to have his blanket back, Linus joins Snoopy in the audience as Charlie Brown competes; the other children watch the contest at home on television. One-by-one, the other contestants are eliminated until only Charlie Brown and one other boy remain. After correctly spelling several words, Charlie Brown is eliminated when he accidentally misspells the word "beagle." Depressed, Charlie Brown returns home (along with Linus and Snoopy), but unlike the crowd of people that saw them off, nobody is there to greet them when their bus pulls in. They trudge home, and the next day, Linus visits Charlie Brown. Sally tells him her brother has been in his room all day with the shades down and refuses to see or talk to anybody. Linus tells Charlie Brown that the other kids missed him at school and that his baseball team finally got their first win of the season, but Charlie Brown says he will never return to school again. As Linus leaves, he points out that the world didn't end despite Charlie Brown's failure. Charlie Brown thinks for a moment, gets dressed, and goes outside. He sees the other children playing, and when he spots Lucy as she plays with a football which is the same one he failed to kick earlier, he sneaks up behind her to kick it. She pulls it away before he can, and welcomes him home and the two look at the audience before the screen fades out. Voice Cast *Peter Robbins as Charlie Brown *Pamelyn Ferdin as Lucy van Pelt *Glenn Gilger as Linus van Pelt *Andy Pforsich as Schroeder *Sally Dryer as Patty *Bill Melendez as Snoopy *Anne Altieri as Violet *Erin Sullivan as Sally Brown *Linda Mendelson as Frieda *Christopher DeFaria as Pig-Pen Production The film was partly based on a series of "Peanuts" comic strips that were originally published in newspapers in 1966. Box Office "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" grossed $12,000,000 at the box office. Reception "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" was well received by critics. It holds a 95% rating at Rotten Tomatoes based on 19 reviews. Time praised the film for its use of "subtle, understated colors" and its scrupulous fidelity to the source material, calling it a message film that "should not be missed." The New York Times' Vincent Canby wrote in his review of the film: "I do have some reservations about the film, but it's difficult—perhaps impossible—to be anything except benign towards a G-rated, animated movie that manages to include references to St. Stephen, Thomas Eakins, Harpers Ferry, baseball, contemporary morality (as it relates to Charlie Brown's use of his 'bean ball'), conservation and kite flying." A 1971 Associated Press story argued the success of the film "broke the Disney monopoly" on animated feature films that had existed since the 1937 release of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", saying: "The success of 'Peanuts' started a trend," animation producer Fred Calvert told the AP. "But I hope the industry is not misled into thinking that animation is the only thing. You need to have a solid story and good characters, too. Audiences are no longer fascinated by the fact that Mickey Mouse can spit." Category:Films Category:American films Category:1960s films Category:Traditional animated films Category:Comedy-drama films Category:Children and family films Category:National General Pictures films Category:Cinema Center Films films Category:G-rated films Category:1969 films